The White Fang's Legacy
by CombustibleLemons25
Summary: What if Hatake Sakumo hadn't taken his own life, but instead lived on and had a child with an Uchiha? This is the story of that child. OC-centric early on, then NaruxOC. Rated M for swearing and later content.
1. Introduction

The White Fang's Legacy

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, just the brilliant randomness that it inspires in my mind.

Summary: What if Hatake Sakumo hadn't taken his own life, but instead lived on and had a child with an Uchiha that caused the manifestation of something that hadn't been seen in a very long time? This is the story of that child, the story of the new White Fang of Konoha.

-Market District, Konohagakure no Sato-

A flash of gravity defying white hair would lead an untrained eye to believe that there was a miniature Hatake Kakashi running through the streets of Konoha like a bat out of hell. But that untrained eye would be incorrect since that particular head of white hair belonged to the younger brother of the Copy-Cat Ninja, Hatake Keito. And at the moment, Keito was in a huge hurry to get to the Konoha Shinobi Academy for his graduation exam. Now one might challenge that a 6 year old was far too young and naïve to become a ninja, but that one would be wrong since this boy was no ordinary 6 year old. This 6 year old was trained from the day he could walk to become a ninja by his father, brother, and several people that happened to be close to their small family. Anybody that knew the kid was pretty confident in his skills.

However his time-management skills could use a little work... must run in the family.

-Konoha Shinobi Academy-

The white streak finally made it to his destination while panting heavily. _Ha, and with 5 minutes to spare too!_ He thought triumphantly to himself. Keito casually walked to his classroom with his hands in his pockets after he got his breathing under control. He entered to find most of his classmates and his instructors staring at him, ignoring their stares he merely took his seat in the back row and waited patiently for the exam to begin. Although he appeared patient on the outside the boy was ridiculously excited about graduating.

His instructor began his speech about the importance of the graduation exam and how if they graduated then they would become the new inheritors of the Will of Fire, and a few other things about shinobi life before he began handing out the written exam. He told the class that they had an hour to answer the one hundred question test and wished them good luck.

Keito finished the test with what he knew was going to be a high score with about twenty minutes to spare. He drummed his fingers on his desk with barely restrained anxiety while willing time to move faster. The testing time was finally up and the completed tests were handed forward. The class was gathered and brought outside for the second and third portions of the exams. The second was a demonstration of throwing weapon proficiency which Keito passed with ease. The third was a 5 minute spar against a classmate which the youngest Hatake blew his opponent out of the water after the first minute. The last and most important portion was a performance of the three basic Academy jutsu: Henge, Kawarimi, and Bunshin. The class was brought back into the room where they were each called one by one to the back room to show their skill the three basic jutsu.

He was called after ten of his classmates had gone before him, nine of them had passed which made him smile inwardly at his odds. Keito walked into the back room and bowed respectfully to his instructors who then motioned for him to begin. He began with a transformation into his brother Kakashi before a puff of smoke revealed that he had switched places with a filing cabinet that had been in the far corner of the room where he was now standing. He was then engulfed in another puff of smoke which cleared to reveal four copies of Kakashi eye-smiling at his instructors who were a bit wide-eyed at how smooth his transition was as well as producing three transformed clones. Needless to say, Keito passed his graduation exam. As he was walking out of the room Keito snagged one of the Konoha hitai-ate that were laying on a desk and tied it proudly over his forehead.

Once all of the students were through the instructors announced that the ones that passed would return tomorrow to receive their team placement. His instructors dismissed them and they all proceeded to the front of the academy to meet their parents and whomever else came to see the new graduating class. Keito looked around and was happily surprised to see his father and brother waiting for him.

He approached them with a proud smile on his face, "Guess all that hard work paid off finally huh?"

Sakumo ruffled his son's hair and chuckled a bit when Keito pushed his hand away, "That it has, but this is only a small step on your way to becoming a splendid ninja. Isn't that right Kakashi?"

"Hmm?" was Kakashi's response since his face was currently buried in the newest addition of Icha Icha Paradise.

"Attentive as always, Kaka-nii," came Keito's agitated intone.

"Heh, how about we just go and grab some lunch boys?" Sakumo offered to diffuse the fight that was brewing between his sons.

"Sure." Both Kakashi and Keito grunted out at the same time.

-Ichiraku Ramen Stand-

The Hatake family made their way to Ichiraku Ramen in a comfortable silence that only broke once they got to the small stand and found the Sandaime Hokage dining with a small blond girl.

"Isn't she a bit young for you Hiruzen?" Sakumo asked in a mirthful tone.

The old man turned and saw the White Fang with his sons. He laughed a bit, "I suppose you may be right my friend. Having a family outing, Sakumo?"

The Hatake patriarch put Keito in a headlock and ruffled his hair, "Not just any outing, Hiruzen. Say hello to your newest genin!" This action caused both the Hokage and his "date" to laugh.

Keito managed to escape from his father's death grip before huffing, "I hate when you do that dad! I'm a ninja now, geez!"

"Why don't you three just take a seat before somebody gets hurt?" Hiruzen offered while trying to contain his laughter.

Soon enough all of them were enjoying a nice hot bowl of ramen until the silence was broken by Kakashi surprisingly enough.

"So Hokage-sama, care to introduce us to your lady-friend?" asked the Copy-Cat Ninja in his usual drawl.

Hiruzen leaned back to place an arm around the blond girl to give the three Hatake males a better view of her, "This is Uzumaki Naruko and she happens to be a very special friend of mine." The girl blushed a bit and offered a small smile but said nothing.

"It's very nice to meet you Naruko. My name is Sakumo and these are my sons: Kakashi and Keito." He greeted in a kind voice while gesturing to his boys.

Keito waved to her with a cheerful smile while Kakashi gave a lazy two-fingered salute still consumed by his little pink book. Naruko smiled a bit wider and timidly returned Keito's wave.

"Sorry, she can be a little shy around people she doesn't know," Hiruzen apologized while patting the blond girl on the head.

Sakumo waved his hand dismissively, "Not a problem." He paused to finish his drink and cleared his throat before continuing, "Well I think we've done enough damage here, time to head out." He got a nod in response from both Kakashi and Keito. The three Hatakes made their way out of the stand after paying and wishing Hiruzen and Naruko a good day.

They walked in silence the rest of the way home. Keito wasn't aware of the disturbingly grave look that now adorned his father's face at what he was about to tell his son.

-Shinobi Quarter, Hatake Household-

Once they reached the small, plain house that the Hatakes called "home", Sakumo turned around to smack Keito whom exploded with a puff of smoke and caught the hitai-ate that it had tied to its forehead. Sakumo sent a look at Kakashi which he simply nodded to and proceeded into the living room and took a seat on one of the couches therein. He watched a rather agitated looking Keito walk down the stairs.

Keito was about to open his mouth to ask why his father dispelled his clone in such a rude way until he saw the look on his face. He'd never seen his father look so... sullen. He simply followed his silent parent to the living room with a mix of dread and curiosity stirring in the pit of his stomach. Keito watched Sakumo gesture for him to take a seat on the couch opposite of the one that Kakashi was currently occupying. The youngest Hatake stayed standing and was getting ready to explain himself until his father sent him a cold stare that said 'shut your mouth and sit down'. Keito sat down while fumbling with his hands out of anxiety.

"Look, if this is about the shadow clone..." Keito began but was silenced by his father raising a hand.

Sakumo finally let his features soften a bit, "No, my son this is not about the shadow clone. I'm actually very impressed with your use of a fairly taxing jutsu to pass your exams, but that's for another time." He paused to gather his wits for what he was about to tell his younger son. "What I'm about to tell you is something that only a handful of people are aware of, understand?" Upon seeing Keito's affirmative nod he continued, "I am invoking an old law that was developed during the reign of the Nidaime Hokage. This law states that a young ninja may surrender their hitai-ate in order to prove themselves more competent in the real world called a Trial of Will. This increased level of competence brings with it a higher rank and more faith in your skills, which to you means an automatic promotion to Chuunin or better depending on your performance. The trial requires the participant to survive for no less than two years with no assistance as well as learn a jutsu from each of the Five Great Nations." Sakumo paused to allow Keito to absorb what he was just told.

After a few moments of silence, Keito finally spoke, "Is that all?" The question was asked in a small, somewhat unsure voice that almost felt foreign to the usually confident ninja-to-be.

Sakumo bowed his head slightly and heaved a sigh, "No. The participant must also accomplish and have proof of their first kill."

For several minutes the room felt like the air had been drained from it and the temperature dropped quite a few degrees once the last requirement was disseminated. Keito just sat there, completely still, with his eyes widened while his features denoted a cross between shock, fear, and discomfort.

The tension in the room was broken by Kakashi's usual bored drawl, "It's your choice and you'll receive a year of special training before we send you on your way because frankly if we sent you now you probably wouldn't last more than a few months." With that taunt the trap was set. The taunt also seemed to snap Keito out of his trance.

Keito's features gained a bit of brightness to them as he managed to produce a confident smirk. "Bring it on," he announced with all of the brashness that he could muster.

With a relieved sigh that he covered with a loud clap, Sakumo let a cheerful expression grace his face, "Well then it's settled, I'll inform the Hokage in the morning then your tor-er training will begin immediately!"

Kakashi eye-smiled, "Oh and on a side note: since your hitai-ate will be in the possession of the Hokage during the trial if you happen to get captured then the village will deny your existence and you'll most likely be executed for espionage. No pressure." He finished with a shrug.

_Oh goodie... what the hell have I gotten myself into?_ Keito sarcastically thought while his eye twitched uncontrollably.

A/N: I know this is pretty random considering the list of other fics that I could be working on that I've had in the works for a while, but the muse called pretty loudly for this one.

In addition, this is just an intro of sorts. I plan on making all of the other chapters a bit closer to the 3,000 word area.


	2. A Year in Hell: He Can Be Taught!

The White Fang's Legacy

Chapter One: A Year in Hell Pt. 1

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto... I don't even own my own car(it'll be paid off soon though -_-)

-Main Road, Konohagakure no Sato-

It was early in the morning so much so that shop owners hadn't begun opening their places of business. A lone figure traversed the main road that led from the town square all the way to the village's gargantuan front gate. It has been a year since the beginning of the white-haired youth's special training and needless to say he had changed quite a bit. The year had left him a bit taller and exponentially more survivable than he had been a year previous. His current outfit made him look much more like an experienced veteran than a green novice. Since he used to wear a pair of gray shorts, a simple navy blue t-shirt, and blue sandaru. Now he was sporting baggy, olive drab pants that were taped down to his ankles, a fishnet undershirt, a dark gray, long-sleeved shirt, a mask that covered the bottom half of his face like his older brother, a kunai holster on his right thigh, a shuriken pouch on the back of pants, black sandaru, and to top it off he wore a long, beige cloth scarf around his neck. The focused look in his eyes spoke of the hardships he had endured and the hardships he would soon endure. A seven year-old Hatake Keito strode calmly toward the front gate ready to start his Trial of Will.

-Front Gate, Konohagakure no Sato-

As the massive gate slowly swung open to allow his passage the entire year of training flashed before his eyes in excruciating detail.

Flashback

-Training Ground #44, One Year Ago-

A yawning Keito was being led through the treacherous forest by his father during the early morning of his first official day of preliminary training. They stopped at a seemlingly random spot in the labyrinth of trees.

Sakumo turned to face his sleepy son with a wide grin. "Keito, I'd like to welcome you to the primary site of your preparatory training. This is Training Ground 44. And due to the dangerous menagerie of creatures and plants it has gained the nickname: "The Forest of Death"." This caused Keito to perk up a bit. "That's right! The Forest of Death. This training ground is normally utilized by more experienced ninja, but for the next year you and I along with the occasional visitor will call this place 'home'. What do you think?" He finished with excitement that would put a certain spandex-wearing jounin to shame.

"Yippee," came the less than enthusiastic response from Keito.

"That's the spirit," chirped Sakumo cheerfully.

_He needs to get out more,_ Keito thought grimly.

They set up a small base camp complete with a fire pit, two tents, and several traps in the surrounding area in case of unwelcome visitors. Lucky for Keito, today happened to be a lecture day of sorts after they spent some time hunting for food and collecting water for the next few days. He was especially glad when his father told him to rest up for tomorrow since his physical conditioning would begin promptly when the sun rose.

With sunrise came a training routine that would truly put Keito's fitness to the test. He started with fifty of each exercise which included: push-ups, sit-ups, weighted squats, pull-ups, leg lifts, jumping jacks, and lunges. If he couldn't accomplish the required number of a certain exercise then Sakumo just added more time to his cardio exercise. The rest of his work-out consisted of an hour of chakra-less tree climbing, low crawling, running, and branch jumping. Following his physical conditioning, Sakumo would give him various survival, evasion, resistance, escape, reconnaissance, tracking, hunting, strategy, or stealth lessons. He would finish the day with an hour of meditation and an hour of navigating the forest in complete darkness. It was bitter work, but the results would pay huge dividends in the end.

Keito was learning to function with a very minimal amount of sleep and even though the rest he did get was brief it was strangely satisfying. He was also having pretty strange dreams which usually involved either a seemingly sleeping woman with blazing red hair or a vulnerable young girl with shining blond hair. When he asked Sakumo what the dreams could mean the usual reply was 'Aren't you a little young to dream about women?'. Eventually Keito stopped asking questions about the dreams since his father seemed to be avoiding telling him what they could really mean. All he really knew was that the blond girl reminded him of that girl that the Hokage had with him at Ichiraku the day he graduated. Naruko was her name. He couldn't really say that he was fond of her since it was his clone that actually met her, but regardless thinking of her made him happy. Now that he was thinking on it, the dreams in general gave Keito a sense of serenity for some odd reason. Whatever that reason was he couldn't care less, he just hoped that the dreams didn't stop.

-Training Ground #44, 3 Months Later-

An exhausted, somewhat dirty Keito received another brutal strike from an enemy ninja trying to get information out of him. He was bound to a tree in a standing position as the ninja wailed on him mercilessly while asking him questions about the village. Keito was woken up by the clamor of yelling accompanied by several strikes to his ears and face as well as a flash-bang tag to disorient him, he didn't have much of a chance to fight back. What followed was several hours of torture which included several classics such as water-boarding, inflicting multiple miniscule, non-lethal cuts on his exposed skin, and the current method of beating him while he was restrained. Which brings us to the current situation unfolding.

Keito was on the edge of unconsciousness as his tormentor delivered another shot to the head and then a follow-up blow to the chest while demanding information about Konoha's defenses. He merely winced and gathered the breath to laugh weakly. With a bloody smile he managed to wheeze out, "No matter what you do to me..." He paused to cough and take another shaky breath before continuing, "I'll never betray my home, so just give up." Although he finished in a whisper the declaration had the desired effect as the enemy seemed to stop.

"So be it," the enemy ninja paused to perform a hand sign and after being engulfed in a puff of smoke Sakumo now stood in his place, "You pass." He cut his son's bonds and gently lowered him into a seated position against the tree he had been tied to.

Keito sighed in relief and exasperation when he found that he had been tricked and beaten to shit by his own father. "If I had any energy in my body I'd yell at you," he spoke weakly.

Sakumo nodded while his face showed the utmost pride in his younger son. "I know how terrible you must feel and how much you must detest me right now, but you don't understand how strong you were when you refused to give in." He began performing some basic medical ninjutsu to ease Keito's pain before continuing, "You displayed a level of dedication that is rarely seen in new ninja. It's something that is truly special and we've only been seriously training for three months. I'm very impressed and so are my friends here."

As his father finished his sentence, a tall, intimidating man in a black trench coat and a purple-haired woman in not much more than a tan trench coat walked out from behind one of the trees near them. If Keito had managed to not pass out at that moment then he would've been able to meet who was really behind his resistance lessons, but as it was he was in need of some good rest. After all, he earned it with all he's endured in the last ten hours.

The man spoke first, "You do know that you went way too easy on him, right?"

"That may be Ibiki but he did endure more punishment then most chuunin could take and still didn't surrender," Sakumo retorted to the now identified Ibiki.

The woman placed a hand on Ibiki's chest, "While I do agree with you Ibiki, Sakumo has a point. That brat has some serious balls." She punctuated her words by licking her lips with a sadistic gleam in her eye.

"Never would've figured you for the cradle-robbing type Anko," Ibiki teased in a gravelly monotone.

The aforementioned Anko just shrugged nonchalantly, "Shows what you know. 'Get 'em while they're young' I always say."

"You two scare me sometimes," Sakumo admitted with a nervous chuckle and a sweat-drop. "But I really appreciate your help and one day so will he," he said gratefully while gesturing to his sleeping son.

Ibiki nodded, "Anytime."

"Let us know if you need anymore help training the brat," Anko offered with a predatory grin.

"Will do," the White Fang affirmed with a smile.

Anko and Ibiki took their leave after speaking with Sakumo for several more minutes. Once they left, Sakumo took a seat next to the sleeping Keito and sighed, "I hope all of this effort is worth it both for your sake and the sakes of the last Uzumakis."

-Training Ground #44, 6 Months Later-

After a week of recovery following the resistance exercise, Keito's physical training was brought to a higher level. He was required to do twice the number of muscle exercises as well as a thirty minute addition to each of his cardio exercises. This proved to be fairly difficult at first, but Sakumo started allowing him to utilize chakra after the first month of the new work-out routine. His father's reasoning behind allowing chakra use was that Keito would have to learn to use chakra as a reflex to improve his performance in a high stakes ninja battle. The use of chakra as a performance enhancer was to become an involuntary action by his mind and body to counter a perceived threat. The meditation time was also doubled to compensate for the increased stress on Keito's chakra coils. And the White Fang finally decided that every other day would be a sparring day since at this point in training Keito had already learned most of what he needed to survive in the first five months of lessons. Now all he was missing was advanced combat skills.

_Class is in session,_ thought Sakumo as he watched his son finish his work-out for the day. He reached into his kunai holster and drew one of the deadly knives. The White Fang let the projectile fly with a swing of his arm and sent it right to Keito's left flank.

Keito took another sip of water from his canteen when something pulled his attention to his left. His body pulled him back and down with little input from his brain. _What the hell? _He thought curiously as he turned back to his right to see a kunai stuck in one of the trees. He winced when he felt a stinging sensation on his cheek. He touched the cheek and saw that the blade had managed to cut him if the blood on his hand was any indication. Keito got into a defensive stance now that he was either in danger from a legitimate threat or his dad was just fucking with him. He figured that it was the latter, but no need to hold back just in case it is an actual enemy.

Sakumo had since moved from his original position to one that was a bit lower and directly behind his son's back. _Let's see just how good you've gotten. _He thought with a devilish glint in his eye as he drew several more kunai and even a few shuriken. He let a couple more kunai fly.

Something now pulled at the back of Keito's mind, so he rolled to his left immediately. That roll had saved him for the most part, one of the kunai managed to nick his right shoulder when he dove into the roll. "From behind, really dad is that the best you've got?" he challenged with a confident smirk.

_Hmm, he's good and he's confident but he's not yet ready. _He thought with a grin. Sakumo silently and swiftly moved to his son's front and readied the weapons he had drawn earlier. He tossed two at a time mixing and matching kunai and shuriken aimed at different areas of Keito's body.

Alarms were going off in Keito's mind as several waves of pointy objects were incoming head-on. He swayed, ducked, and jumped to avoid the projectiles, but despite his best efforts he was still taking small amounts of damage. After about the fifth wave, Keito decided that it was time to try and return some of these offending weapons to the sender. He saw a wave of two kunai and reached out to snag them out of the air, unfortunately his timing was off by a split second so he only caught one of the knives by its blade. He winced at the deep cuts in his hand but readied the kunai to deflect the rest of the incoming throwing weapons and spotted an opening just big enough for him to return the knife to the one who had thrown it. Keito quickly cocked his arm back and let the kunai fly in the direction that the projectiles had been coming from.

The kunai hit the trunk of the tree that Sakumo had used as a platform just a few inches from his face. _Not bad, not bad at all but you still have a ways to go yet. _He thought with a proud smile. Sakumo pulled the kunai out of the tree and jumped down from his spot. As he approached his son, the White Fang got the shock of his life when he saw Keito's eyes. _That's impossible! There's no way he could get it so early! _He thought with a somewhat alarmed expression on his face.

Keito grinned when he saw his dad jump down from the tree, but suddenly became a bit nervous when he saw the look that was being sent his way. The silence reigned for a few minutes before Keito broke it, "Hey dad, what's with the face?"

"Your eyes," Sakumo whispered so low that Keito almost didn't hear him.

"What about 'em?" Keito asked getting a bit agitated.

"Sharingan," the White Fang uttered.

Keito suppressed a snort, "Yeah right, good one dad. You and I both know that the Sharingan is an Uchiha thing. And I'm certainly not an Uchiha, right?" He finished with a bit of uncertainty as his father's face was unchanged.

No more words came from Sakumo as he grabbed his son by the front of his shirt and dragged him to a small watering hole near their campsite. He forced Keito to look for himself.

Lo and behold his father was telling the truth. _Holy shit _He thought as he gazed upon his own eyes with wonder. The irises had turned red and there was one tomoe in each eye just a little ways from the pupil. "I have the Sharingan," he said in quiet reverence.

"That you do," Sakumo said. _Although much earlier than expected, not that I'm complaining or anything but his training is going to have to be elevated to a much higher level to compensate for Sharingan training. _He finished in his mind. Sakumo was about to continue, but was cut off by one word from his son that he had been dreading since his Sharingan manifested.

"How?" Keito asked in an accusatory tone with his eyes narrowed.

Sakumo sighed and took a deep breath, "Well I might as well be as straight as possible. Your mother was an Uchiha. It was quite a while ago after a mission that I failed which initially lost me the respect of almost everyone around me. I failed it because I went back to help my downed teammates instead of completing the mission. It cost the village quite a bit, but I know that I did the right thing. I still felt terrible, I was depressed and contemplating suicide. But the night that I was about to take my own life, one of my teammate's widows came up to me in the bar that I was drowning my sorrows in and thanked me for trying to save her husband. She told me that it meant a lot to her knowing that someone was there during his final moments. Her name was Uchiha Miyuki and since that day I had fallen in love with her. Years later we married and then she got pregnant with you. We were so happy when you were born because on that day our family was officially complete." He paused to let the information settle for a bit.

"So what happened to her? Did she leave?" Keito asked in a small, slightly childish voice.

The White Fang rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger as if the question had actually physically hurt him. He sighed tiredly, "She was killed when you were only two. It was about 5 years ago, on the day that the Kyuubi no Kitsune attacked the village. No matter how much I begged and pleaded with her to go back home she insisted that she stand against the beast just like any other Konoha ninja. That old Uchiha pride got the best of her I guess. She had just brought a bunch of injured to what she thought was safety when the fox suddenly struck the area with one of its tails. All of the injured were killed on impact, but she managed to cling to life until I arrived. I held her like I held her first husband all those years ago feeling just as helpless as I had back then. She passed peacefully into death's embrace, her last wish was that I live on to care for you and Kakashi. She wanted me to be there for all the times that she couldn't be there for. Her wish was the main reason behind my retirement from the ninja corps a year later. She loved you. She loved Kakashi. She loved me. Don't you ever forget that, my son." He finished awaiting Keito's reaction.

Tears welled up in Keito's Sharingan eyes while his fists were clenched and shaking with all the sadness and anger wracking his body. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him and looked up to see his father looking down at him with a sad smile on his face. He embraced Sakumo and cried into his chest for what felt like forever but was really only an hour. Keito finally calmed down and managed a small smile, "Thanks for telling me about mom." _Now I have another reason to be a great ninja, watch over me mom. I promise to make you proud. I love you... _He finished his thought as he closed his hand on a ray of sunlight that had managed to penetrate the dense forest.

A/N: Well here's the first chapter. Funny enough that I didn't think I'd have to split his training into two chapters but I like how the first half ended(hope you guys liked it too of course).

And I know how harsh some of Keito's training is but just think of him as a Spartan child. And people might complain about his Sharingan activation being way too early but frankly I don't care since he's obviously not the average Uchiha.


	3. A Year in Hell: A Fang in the Wind

The White Fang's Legacy

Chapter Two: A Year in Hell Pt. 2

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or an Aston Martin for that matter... I'm sad now T_T

-Training Ground #44, 8 Months Later-

It's been three months since Keito's Sharingan had manifested and since he had been told about who his mother was and what her fate had been. Those three months were fairly rough on the rookie... oh who am I kidding? It was worse than the first six months combined. He was receiving Sharingan lessons from Kakashi and taijutsu from a green spandex-wearing monster from his worst nightmares. Kakashi's lessons were usually laid back and informative while this man's were unbelievably difficult and sometimes lasted more than three days straight. Not to mention his father's sneak attacks whenever he was in the middle of either a lesson or doing something non-training related. The attacks were starting to make him paranoid, but he knew that they were to keep him on his toes since virtually anything can happen in the field. The lectures from his father had become less frequent since now he was doing two spars for every one lesson when he wasn't learning from either Kakashi or the Green Beast known as Maito Gai. Keito was currently in the middle of a Sharingan lesson with his older brother.

Kakashi had a kunai in each hand using slow strikes to different areas of his little brother's body while his Sharingan was active to test his ability to see the strikes coming. The Copy-Cat Ninja had a shadow clone standing next to him holding his precious book while he basically play-fought with Keito. "Getting anything?" he asked lazily.

Keito sighed as he gently knocked another of Kakashi's strikes aside, "It's really faint, I can barely make it out."

"Don't be too disappointed. After all your Sharingan is still very young. You only have a tomoe in each eye, but that'll all change once you have all three," Kakashi explained.

"Yeah well..." Keito paused and took one of Kakashi's kunai to deflect an incoming shuriken before handing it back to him. "I just want to be stronger like you and dad. I want to make a name for myself like you guys," he finished.

Kakashi chuckled a bit, "You still have quite a few years to make a name for yourself, no need to rush little brother."

"I guess you're right, but waiting sucks," Keito said childishly as he caught a kunai thrown from behind him by the loop at the end and flung it back. Guess there was something to be said for the training with his father, brother, and Gai since his reflexes and instincts had become something more than second nature.

They were about to continue the exercise when a loud cry of "Dynamic Entry!" rang out through the dense forest. A green streak came out of nowhere and wasted Kakashi's clone. The Copy-Cat Ninja simply caught his book in midair and continued reading. "Hey Gai," Kakashi greeted lazily to the green spandex clad man who turned out to be the streak they had seen. Keito on the other hand was horrified to see the man since it usually meant a training session. The alarmed Hatake just thought _But it's not even his day to train me!_

"Greetings my eternal rival and my youthful student!" Gai bellowed.

Keito bowed respectfully despite his state of mind, "Good afternoon Gai-sensei."

Gai bowed slightly in return before turning to Kakashi, "My eternal rival the village has need of our youthful skills for an important mission, the Hokage asked me to fetch you immediately."

"Alright, I'll go get ready," Kakashi replied before nodding to Keito. "Well duty calls little brother just continue this exercise with a couple shadow clones," he ordered before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Gai disappeared shortly after Kakashi in a swirl of leaves.

Keito just sighed dejectedly after his brother and teacher took their leave. He deftly slapped a kunai out of the air that had come from his right before forming a cross-shaped hand sign. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu," he muttered. After three clones popped into existence, he paused for a few seconds to catch his breath since the jutsu was still fairly taxing. When Keito was ready the clones all drew two kunai and surrounded their master before continuing the exercise he had been doing with Kakashi.

-Training Ground #44, 9 Months Later-

A sweating, panting Keito was standing on his hands cursing Maito Gai's name while doing what Gai called "arm lunges". It was virtually the same as a leg lunge but with your arms instead of your legs, then again arm lunges require more balance and strength. Two things that he was rapidly running out of thanks to his morning workout and all the other ridiculous exercises that Gai forced him to do.

"97... 98... 99..." Keito counted out after each repetition and just as he was about to finish number one hundred and finally be done a kunai flew out of nowhere. The incoming projectile forced him to sway to his far right in order to dodge it unfortunately the sway traveled too far and he couldn't recover. _Dammit! _He mentally cursed.

Gai approached his fallen student with a huge grin, "Oh my precious student couldn't finish his exercise and must then redeem himself with two hundred chakra pull-ups. Get up and get started youthful Keito!"

Keito hung his head with a heavy sigh and a twitchy eye. He was about to say something about the kunai interfering but Gai didn't accept excuses, so he simply began his climb to a branch thick enough to support his body. When he found a suitable branch he used chakra to stick to the bottom of it. Once he had a comfortable grip he made his hands flat and began performing the assigned exercise. Several minutes and 199 reps later found Keito on the edge total exhaustion. He completed the last rep and let himself drop as a shuriken lodged itself where he had just been. Keito landed nearly soundlessly from a fairly impressive height with a triumphant smile on his face. He expected a lot of things when he finished that exercise, but a bone-crushing hug was certainly not one of them.

"Congratulations my youthful student, we have reached the end of our time together since your father has requested that the rest of your training be dedicated to other ninja arts," Gai cried waterfall tears as he shouted the declaration.

Waterfall tears were also falling from Keito's eyes but while Gai's tears were of sadness since his time was up Keito's were out of pure, unbridled joy. _It's finally over. I survived this insane man's __conditioning. Thank you Kami-sama for the gift of mercy that you have bestowed upon me. _He thought with sincere gratitude. He regained his composure and embraced Gai back, "It was an honor to train under you Gai-sensei!" Keito hollered despite their proximity.

"Keito!" Gai shouted louder.

"Gai-sensei!" Keito cried with less energy than before.

"Keito!" Gai bellowed even louder.

"Gai-sensei." Keito said now getting a little agitated.

"Keito!" Gai roared at the top of his lungs.

"Gai-sensei, that's quite enough." Keito stated while trying to push the over-emotional man away. His Sharingan had activated out of his agitation.

Sakumo walked from behind a tree in order to come to his son's rescue. "Alright Gai you might want to let go of him or else you might just break him," he said with a nervous laugh. _Or end up broken yourself. _The White Fang thought after seeing how pissed off his younger son looked. It took some effort but eventually Sakumo managed to detach Gai.

Gai composed himself before bidding Sakumo a farewell and telling Keito to never forget what he had taught him as nothing is more useful than the basics. Sakumo bid Gai his own farewell whereas Keito simply gave him a two-fingered salute in reply.

Once he was sure that Gai had left, Sakumo addressed Keito without facing him, "I want you to meditate deeply for three days to recover then get ready because after that the games are over." He walked away after that.

Keito simply nodded and complied with his father's orders since there was not a single trace of humor in any of his words. He got into his meditative form in his tent and closed his eyes. _I wonder what he meant when he said "...the games are over." _He thought curiously as his father's last few words kept repeating in his head.

Three days had come and gone fairly quickly for the meditating Keito. He quietly woke up from his 'nap' and stretched to get all the kinks out of his joints and muscles. His stomach growled rather loudly and his mouth was pretty dry, guess that's what you get for going three days without food or water. Then again his body was completely refreshed and ready for action. After unsealing and ravenously devouring some previously cooked meat from a storage scroll and downing all of the water in his canteen, Keito felt that he was prepared for whatever his father had planned. He made his way out of his tent to see his dad sitting in front of their small fire pit just staring at the flames.

Sakumo gestured over his shoulder for Keito to join him at the fire. Once his son took a seat, he presented him with a small, rather plain piece of paper. "Do you know what this is?" he queried.

"Uh, probably not just an ordinary piece of paper?" Keito guessed with a shrug.

"You're correct, this is not just an ordinary piece of paper. It is in fact chakra testing paper." The White Fang explained.

"So what exactly does it do?" Keito asked, his curiosity officially piqued.

Sakumo just smiled now that he had his son's full attention. "Excellent question. This paper is a tool used to test a ninja's chakra in such a way that their chakra nature is revealed. The paper reacts to the ninja's chakra in the following ways: Earth makes it crumble to dust, Water soaks it, Wind splits it, Fire burns it, and Lightning crumples it." He handed a piece to his son. "Frankly, I was going to save this for when you were older but you are swiftly developing into a capable, young ninja. I think you're ready for this, please don't make me a liar."

Keito nodded to his father with a small smile. _I hope I'm ready. _He thought with slight nervousness. He held the paper between his thumb and forefinger like his dad instructed and pushed a small amount of chakra into the paper. He closed his eyes once he felt the paper absorb the chakra slightly afraid of what nature he would be.

"Hmm, that's interesting." Sakumo stated after seeing the test result. _Just like his mother. _He thought proudly.

_Damn my curiosity! _Keito thought furiously as he slowly opened his eyes to see that the paper had split in half. "So I have Wind nature chakra then. Is that good?" he asked.

Sakumo turned to his son with a sly smile. "You know Keito there is no bad chakra nature. They each have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. You should be ecstatic considering Wind is a fairly rare nature among Konoha shinobi."

"So what's Wind all about?" Keito asked.

"Well Wind is a somewhat hard to control nature, but is certainly worth the extra effort. It is a cutting element that is capable of concussive damage as well. It is strong against Lightning but weak against Fire. It is primarily a short to mid range nature, but there are certain jutsu that extend the range further. In summary, Wind is a quick, highly damaging nature which suits you quite well much like Lightning suits Kakashi and myself." Sakumo astutely explained.

Keito smirked as uses for his Wind chakra nature flooded his head. "Badass." he uttered quietly in reverence. "So now that I know my chakra nature, what's next?"

"That's a fairly obvious question with a simple answer: we train it." Sakumo answered with a grin.

"Sounds good to me, dad." Keito said. He decided to ask the question that had been bugging him for the last couple hours. "So three days ago when you said that the "... the games are over." what did you mean?"

"Partly as a joke to make you sweat and partly because this training is very intense. It is bitter, exhausting work and I don't want to start it only for you to not have what it takes." The White Fang admitted, his features now serious. "It is something that not all ninja get the time to do and I hope you appreciate everything that will be taught to you. Now then, are you ready?"

Keito looked down at his feet in contemplation. _Am I ready? Can I really do this? What makes me __worthy of something like this? _Just when he was about to become overwhelmed by the bombardment of questions, he remembered the promise he had made to his mother to make her proud. This allowed him to steel his resolve. He clenched his fists and looked into his father's eyes with his Sharingan blazing with determination. "I'm ready."

"Good, create five shadow clones." Sakumo ordered.

Keito eyed like he was off his rocker, but the White Fang simply held his son's stare. "Uh, okay then. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" With a puff of smoke, five copies of Keito stood while the original staggered quite a bit from creating so many. He felt his father steady him and hand him half of a soldier pill to recover the large amount of chakra he just spent. Once he swallowed the pill, he simply stood ready with his clones awaiting Sakumo's next order.

Sakumo sent a single shuriken into the forest canopy and brought down a light shower of leaves. He picked up six of them and handed one to each clone and to Keito. "I want you to hold each leaf with two hands between your thumb and forefinger, then focus on cutting the leaf with your chakra alone."

"Sounds easy enou-" Keito was cut off by a raised hand by his father.

"No Sharingan. Oh and here's a bag of food pills so you don't have to stop and hunt for food. Have fun! Ja ne." Sakumo handed Keito the bag before waving cheerfully and disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"-shit." Keito finished the rest of his cut off sentence. "Might as well get started." He sighed and started pushing chakra into the leaf with his clones following his lead.

Several hours had passed since Keito had begun the leaf-cutting exercise and so far he hadn't made so much as a single nick in the leaf. His stomach growled prompting him to pop a food pill into his mouth which revitalized his body to a degree but did nothing for his mental exhaustion. His mind was buzzing with questions and doubts as well as different methods he hadn't tried yet. He sighed in exasperation as he violently ruffled his own hair to quiet his internal storm. It was that action that caused him to have a revelation and that revelation was meditation. He needed to calm himself, block out all distractions, and focus solely on molding his chakra properly.

"Hey guys, listen up!" Keito addressed his clones. Once he had their attention he began explaining what he wanted them all to try. They simply shrugged in response and complied to their master's order. They all sat and closed their eyes with Keito joining them. The combined focus could be seen as their chakra was visible. _This has to work. This will work. _He thought with confidence.

Four days had passed before one clone finally managed a miniscule nick in its leaf which prompted Keito to dismiss it and allow the information to be distributed amongst the rest of them. He summoned two more clones to take the one's place and decided to rest a bit. _Progress, it's progress! _Keito told himself with a tired smile on his face.

-Training Ground #44, 10 Months Later-

Keito mastered the leaf-cutting exercise to such a degree that he could cut a small stack of leaves without much effort. Sakumo had returned to check on his son and found that he had completed the first fundamental task in Wind mastery. The White Fang congratulated his son on his achievement before giving him a new task. The new task was to split a tree branch. Once his father left again, Keito set to work on the new task with the same method he had used on the first. It took only two weeks with ten clones to conquer this task which impressed Sakumo greatly.

"I can't possibly tell you how proud of you I am right now, Keito." The Hatake patriarch stated with a cheeky grin. "But don't let success go to your head since your tasks will only get exponentially more difficult. Next will be tree splitting, then rock, and finally metal. And since we're getting crunched for time, I will allow you to use your Sharingan, so you can move through these exercises quickly."

Keito merely nodded in acceptance, his Sharingan already active. He and his clones made their way to a fallen tree and put their hands on it to engage the next task. _I can do this, I know I can. I'm a Hatake, there's nothing I can't do! _He thought as fierce determination burned in his eyes.

-Training Ground #44, 11 Months Later-

The dense metal bar in Keito's hands split cleanly before his now two-tomoe Sharingan. "Dad, I'm done with metal splitting!" He called after dispelling all ten of his clones.

"Well done!" Sakumo shouted back as he jogged into their campsite with Kakashi in tow and a small package in his hand.

"Hey Kaka-nii!" Keito greeted cheerily.

"Yo." accompanied by a two-fingered salute was Kakashi's response.

"So what's in the box?" Keito asked his father.

Sakumo grinned. "This is a very special kunai. In fact, this kunai will be the only weapon that you will have during your trial other than weapons that you pilfer of course."

Keito's jaw dropped open. "WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN THE ONLY WEAPON?" He screamed.

"Control yourself." were the only words that Sakumo needed to douse his younger son's outrage.

"Explain." A now calm Keito uttered.

"That's better. One of the rules states that the ninja must learn to thrive with only the most basic of amenities. What's more basic than a single kunai?" Sakumo asked rhetorically.

_A rock, maybe. _Keito thought sarcastically. "But you said it was special, what's so special about it?" He asked curiously.

"I'll defer to Kakashi for this one." Sakumo gestured to his older son.

The Copy-Cat Ninja began his explanation in his usual bored tone, "Well besides being your birthday present, it is made of a special metal that can handle chakra being focused into it. To put it simply, you can push your Wind chakra into it to increase its flight speed, cutting power, etc. Use your imagination." Sakumo handed the box to Keito.

Keito opened the box and took the kunai from it. The gleam was certainly different from other kunai that he had used and it felt slightly lighter too. He allowed his chakra to flow into it and it was almost like the kunai had its own heart beat. It was astounding to say the least. "It's amazing." He said with unconcealed wonder.

"I'm glad you like it. You'll be training with it for the last couple weeks until your trial and then it'll become your only companion for at least the next two years. Just promise me you won't start talking to it." Sakumo said with a chuckle at the end.

"I promise." Keito swore in a mirthful tone while mockingly holding up his right hand.

-Hatake Household, 12 Months Later-

It was the night before Keito's Trial of Will and he couldn't sleep for the life of him. Instead he checked his bag to make sure he had all the clothes he needed as well as the special kunai that he had received a few weeks ago. Training with that weapon had been very fruitful since it was just so easy use; whether it was easy because of his skills or the kunai's material he didn't really care. All he cared about was the fact that the year had prepared him well enough for what he was about to be thrown into. _The real world. _He thought with a touch of apprehension.

Flashback End

-Front Gate, Konohagakure no Sato-

Hatake Keito smiled fondly after seeing the summary of his year in hell. With that he confidently took his first steps into the real world where he would either come back in triumph or not come back at all. For his sake, let's just hope he lasts past the first month.

As a poised Keito took his first steps out of the village, something very different was occurring in the basement of the Hokage Tower. A heavily bandaged man was facing a small group of kneeling, masked ninja. "Follow him, make him sweat, and make sure he does not return." He received no answer as the gathered ninja disappeared in dead silence. "Let the games begin, Hiruzen."

A/N: Woo, Keito's year of prep training is over. But ooh what's this a little sinister villain action and aah a little sabotage action. Shit's about to get real.

Sooooo... love it, hate it, indifferent? Don't really care(but really I do). If something bugs you, if you really like a part please let me know. Give me a shout. Ja ne.


	4. The Trial of Will, An Enemy Lurks

The White Fang's Legacy

Chapter 3: The Trial of Will, An Enemy Lurks

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, I do however own a child's laughter... seriously it's in a jar, on my shelf.

-Konoha Forest, Hi no Kuni-

We find one Hatake Keito running through the forest like the devil was on his tail, which might well have been true since five of Danzou's Ne ANBU were chasing him. Not that he knew who they were, all he knew was that there was definitely someone pursuing him and they were catching up rapidly. Thinking quickly, he formed a set of handsigns before muttering, "Bunshin no Jutsu." Several images of himself dispersed before he made one more handsign, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." Three solid clones appeared and split from the real one, each heading in a different direction. _That should slow them down long enough for me to reach a different country's border. Hopefully that'll make them stop. _He thought tensely. Just in case it didn't, Keito drew his kunai and kept it close to him.

-Eastern Outskirts, Hi no Kuni-

A white streak burst out of the forest line that gave way to a field of long grass just in time to avoid a hail of shuriken. _That distraction did NOT last long enough! _The white streak thought in alarm. Before he knew what happened, the white streak was forced to stop since he was now surrounded. The white streak now revealed to be our hero just hung his head at being put against such insurmountable odds on the first fucking day no less. The strange, masked ninja all drew their ninjato which made Keito subconsciously grip his kunai tighter. When he finally looked up, his Sharingan was alive and focused on the ninja directly in front of him. All of them stood as if waiting for something to signal the beginning of the fight. At that moment, a single leaf blew into the clearing and as soon as it touched ground all of the ninja blurred into action.

Keito's Sharingan was buzzing with inputs from each opponent around him, but his body wasn't quite fast enough to avoid every enemy strike. The best he could do was avoid the killing blows while his Wind-charged kunai was cutting their weapons to ribbons. Whenever one of his opponents had an opening the others would cover the opening and counter whatever he tried. This situation was quickly turning hopeless, he wouldn't last long with all the damage that had already been done to him. The wounds were slowing him down and his adversaries just seemed to get more aggressive. Keito bent backwards to dodge a thrust and performed a back handspring to get some distance. He threw his kunai into the air and blurred through handsigns. "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" He roared before blowing a massive fireball into the enemy ranks. He caught his kunai and darted back into the forest. The Ne ANBU just followed him after seemingly taking no damage from Keito's jutsu. They stopped at the tree line and each held up a handsign. The forest in front of them exploded from the trap they had set just in case their prey ever decided to run back to the safety of cover.

The suspected leader of the group nodded and the rest began a survey of the annihilated forest. A thorough search of the blasted area had turned up nothing of their prey. The leader had them regroup so he could hear what they had to report.

One of the masked ninja spoke up. "Sir, it appears that there is no trace left of the boy."

The rest reported similar findings. There appeared to be nothing left. After a short silence, the ninja that had first reported in spoke up once more. "Sir, if I may?"

The leader simply nodded that the ninja could continue.

"We used a great deal of exploding tags. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that the explosion simply vaporized him." The ninja politely suggested.

The leader seemed to be thinking on what their next action would be and after a bit more contemplation he had come to a conclusion. "Then that is what we shall report to Danzou-sama. Let's head back now, there's nothing more we can do here." With that, all the masked ninja disappeared in puffs of smoke.

The coast now clear, a scorched stump exploded in a puff of smoke which revealed a burned, bleeding Hatake Keito. _Henge no Jutsu success. My plan worked okay, for the most part. _He thought, but as soon as he tried to stand a crippling pain shot through his body. "Scratch that, my plan did nothing but keep me alive, in terrible pain." He muttered bitterly. He simply sat against a tree to rest a bit and reflect on what had happened moments ago. His Sharingan had picked up the detonation signal that those ninja used to set off all of their tags which prompted him to create a shadow clone to take the brunt of the blast. He had also expelled a bit of Wind chakra from his hands to absorb most of the shockwave, but based on his condition it appeared that the plan was all but a complete failure. So here he was, broken and in mind-numbing pain with shock slowly setting in until his brain played one of the lessons that his father had taught him. It was about a distress signal used during wartime sent via a pulse of chakra, the pulse was supposed to notify nearby medics that somebody was in need of help. Keito mentally shrugged. _Well I'm gonna die anyway so what the hell. _He focused a suitable amount of chakra, condensed it, then released the pulse.

Breathing was starting to get difficult and the sun was beginning to set. Keito was sure that no one would come now, but just as darkness was taking him he heard the faint sound of movement. The sounds of movement were accompanied by several shouts that he couldn't quite hear since the explosion had also damaged his hearing. Right before he passed out, Keito caught sight of a girl with short black hair running into what used to be the forest and spotting him. Then nothing.

"Over here Tsunade-shishou!" The black-haired girl called as a blond woman with an enormous pair of 'assets' joined her. "That pulse must've come from this kid."

The blond known as Tsunade just snorted. "This kid looks like shit, Shizune. Had to have been a hell of a party by the looks of this place." She finished with a quick survey of the area.

The now identified Shizune sighed as she approached the unconscious boy. "Yeah he is pretty banged up." She paused to check his vitals and gasped with a worried expression. "He stopped breathing!"

Tsunade quickly joined Shizune at the boy's side and barely held back a flinch at some of his more gruesome wounds. She began trembling a bit at the blood before her student snapped at her.

"Tsunade-shishou, he needs your help now!" Shizune shook her mistress a bit and pleaded desperately for her assistance.

The blond woman snapped out of her trance and, without skipping a beat, performed a string of handsigns that resulted in her hands glowing green. She placed her glowing hands on Keito's chest while Shizune performed the breathing portion of CPR. A few tense minutes passed until the two medics managed to get the boy's vitals back and to a stable level. They then treated the major wounds in order to prepare him for transportation to the inn that the two were staying in.

-Tadari Inn, Hi no Kuni-

Shizune carried the boy to their room and gently laid him down on one of the beds in her's and Tsunade's room. Once there, she healed the rest of his minor wounds. She stripped him to his boxers in order to give him a complete examination. When she found no further damage, she applied bandages to his more superficial wounds to prevent infection. She placed the bed's comforter over his body before she left to wash his clothes. Tsunade stood at the bedroom's doorway after Shizune left and began staring at the sleeping boy with scrutinizing eyes. Something clicked in her head. "Ne, Shizune?" Tsunade called to her student.

"What is it, shishou?" Shizune replied curiously upon seeing her teacher's face.

"Doesn't this kid kinda remind you of Kakashi?" Tsunade asked her apprentice.

Shizune simply scanned the boy and contorted her face in thought. "A little, I suppose." She answered.

Tsunade just pursed her lips. "You think Kakashi had a kid while we've been gone?"

"Doubt it." Shizune answered with a shake of her head. "I'd lean more towards Sakumo having a second child than Kakashi having his first."

"You're probably right." Tsunade agreed. "Wonder what he was doing in the middle of a destroyed forest?" She pondered aloud.

Shizune just shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe he'll give us an explanation when he wakes up." She suggested.

"Maybe." Tsunade muttered before making her way over to the other bed. She hopped onto it and fell asleep thinking about what this kid was going to tell them when he awoke.

Two full weeks had passed before Keito started showing signs of awakening. He breathed in sharply as he shook awake, his eyes snapping open. Once he determined that he wasn't in danger, he scanned the room and figured that he wasn't in hell. _That's a great relief to know that I'm not dead, and not outside for that matter. _Keito thought as he relaxed slightly. He carefully shifted his body out of the bed and upon standing he found that he was now dressed in dark blue gym shorts and a gray t-shirt. He gingerly made his way to the door and opened it quietly. Keito made his way to what seemed to be the main living area using the walls for support. He poked his head into the room and saw two occupants: that black-haired girl who found him and a blond woman that he didn't know. The black-haired girl spotted him, put down what she was doing, and moved to approach him.

"Hey shishou look who decided to join us." Shizune announced to the blond woman who merely grunted in response. She laughed lightly before turning back to Keito, "Don't mind her, she's just hungover. My name's Shizune, it's nice to meet you..." She let the sentence hang in the air.

They didn't seem to be enemies, in fact they saved him and clothed him. He gave Shizune a small smile. "Keito. Akira Keito. And the pleasure's all mine." He falsely introduced himself just in case he found that they couldn't be trusted.

Shizune mentally frowned at the fact that he may have lied about his identity since her and Tsunade were both sure that he was a Hatake. She was about to voice her protest when her master beat her to it.

"Bullshit!" Tsunade yelled out, startling both of the room's other occupants. "We may not know **exactly **who you are, but we do know that you're a Hatake."

Keito chuckled a bit. "A Hatake? I think you must be mistak-" He was cut off by the blond woman.

"Look brat, enough games." Tsunade got out of her seat and grabbed Keito before he could react and got level with him. "I am Tsunade of the Sannin and you will answer my damn questions truthfully, got that?" She left no room for argument.

"Yes ma'am." Keito answered quickly now that he knew who he was dealing with. He then fully explained himself but subtly lied about the 'Trial of Will' thing since the rules stated that he couldn't disclose that he was participating in it. Instead, he simply told her that he was "exploring" and got attacked by a gang of bandits. She knew he was lying, but didn't care to pursue it just yet. The Slug Princess simply took her seat to converse with the kid.

"So you're Sakumo's, huh?" Tsunade asked rhetorically she then settled her chin upon her intertwined fingers. "So how is he and your mother doing?"

Keito closed his eyes at the question. "My mom died during the Kyuubi attack, but my dad's still kickin'. He's officially retired so now he just takes care of me since Kaka-nii moved out a few months ago." He began somberly finishing with a content tone.

"That's too bad." Tsunade paused then decided to change the subject. "So what's your perverted, cycloptic brother up to?"

Keito smiled a bit at how she referred to his brother. "Kaka-nii is out of the ANBU and working as a Jounin now. Still a pervert and still a cyclops." He ended with a joke.

Shizune was doing her best to just stay quiet and let them talk but something was really getting to her. "What's wrong with you?" She blurted her question at Keito.

Both Keito and Tsunade blinked in shock at Shizune's outburst. Keito managed to utter a stunned, "Eh?"

Shizune sighed. "What I meant to say was: Now that you know who she is, why haven't you been begging to get trained by her?" She asked curiously.

"Hmm, that's a good question." Keito admitted with a smile now that the shock had worn off. "I figured that I'd wait a little before asking since a Sannin's time is fairly valuable. I need to show that I'm worth it."

Tsunade just stood up and put her hands on her hips. " Well I don't mind training the White Fang's brat, but be prepared for the cost to get taken out of your ass." She finished with an evil smile.

Keito just sweat-dropped. _Why do I keep doing this to myself? _He thought with a miserable smile on his face. "I'm honored to receive training from you, Tsunade-sensei." He bowed respectfully to emphasize his declaration.

-Kyonburo Inn, Hi no Kuni, One Week Later-

Once Keito fully recovered, the small group traveled to the southern part of Hi no Kuni. Tomorrow was going to be his first official day of training with the Slug Princess and her apprentice, so he took advantage of the time to create ten shadow clones and sent them off in different directions. As Keito rested on one knee from the exertion, Tsunade saw the whole thing and shot him a questioning look. He just gave her a withering smile and cryptically said, "Multitasking."

Tsunade just rolled her eyes. "Just don't kill yourself, gaki." _Why are all Hatake men so strange? It's gotta be hereditary. _She thought before crossing her arms over her chest and shaking her head as she walked away.

Keito made his way back to their inn room to meditate and then sleep for the rest of the day in preparation for the training he would receive.

The following morning our hero woke up early and grabbed a simple breakfast from the various pastries and fruits that the inn supplied in a small dining room just a little ways from their room. He got back to the room and nearly ran into the two people he wanted to speak with. However, before words could even be exchanged Keito was turned back out of the room's door and led to a secluded area about a mile away from the inn. Tsunade finally turned to face him and smiled, "Hope you slept well gaki, 'cause you're about to have a hell of a day."

Keito felt her chakra spike and instinctively performed a back handspring to dodge whatever had been sent his way. Whatever it was caused a huge dust cloud to fill the area and forced his Sharingan to activate out of mental distress. The dust cleared to reveal an enormous crater where he had been not more than a few seconds ago. He saw Tsunade in the crater with her fist still touching the ground. She lifted her head to reveal an evil grin that faltered once she made eye contact with him.

"Sharingan." Tsunade uttered it like it was a curse word. "Gaki, explain."

Keito averted his eyes and sighed. "My mom was an Uchiha. I actually just found out fairly recently myself." He confessed, almost ashamed of himself for leaving that part out when he told his new teacher about who he was. "I hope this doesn't change anything, Tsunade-sensei."

Tsunade just narrowed her eyes in contemplation before smiling. "Nothing changed, but now I know that I can be a little rougher with you than previously thought." She walked up to Keito and flicked him in the forehead which sent him flying. "Get ready to learn a thing or two, gaki."

-Yukari Lodge, Hi no Kuni, One Year Later-

The last year had seen Keito, Tsunade, and Shizune traveling all around Hi no Kuni until they reached a mountain range to the northeast just a few miles from the border to Rai no Kuni. In that year Keito had learned a variety of jutsu as well as a ton of useful information. Tsunade showed him plenty of healing arts in the first year, but this year was all about damage-dealing skills and advanced medical ninjutsu which made him incredibly excited. Shizune was in charge of teaching him the rest which consisted of: poisons, antidotes, anatomy, medical history, diseases, and a plethora of treatment methods that he hadn't even heard of. Then there was the shadow clones that he had sent to the far corners of the continent to absorb everything they saw. He dispelled them every month to find out what they learned and created ten more for further knowledge absorption. Keito's clones sent him a few jutsu in addition to new skills for him to develop on his own. He had even changed the way he dressed these days, choosing to emulate his current teacher wearing a simple dark blue t-shirt, baggy charcoal gray pants taped from his mid-calf down to his ankles, black sandaru, and a green coat to match her's. What can he say, he's easily influenced.

At the moment, the trio was enjoying the hot spring that the lodge offered. Of course Keito was in the men's bathing area whereas Tsunade and Shizune were occupying the women's side. It wasn't more than a few minutes until the white-haired youth sensed a presence on the other side of the wall where his teachers were bathing. He had no choice but to alert the women of the peeping tom. "Tsunade-sensei, Shizune-nee!" he called over the wall dividing the bathing areas.

"What is it, gaki?" He heard Tsunade call back.

"There's a pervert spying on you two." Were the only words Keito needed to say in order for the peaceful hot spring area to explode with feminine rage. He heard yelling, screaming, and begs for mercy but knew that the guy wasn't going to receive any. Keito waited a bit before asking, "Are you two decent?"

"Yes, Keito-kun." He heard Shizune respond this time.

Keito wrapped a towel around his waist to see what had become of the peeping tom. What he saw was certainly surprising to say the least. It happened to be none other than the Gama Sennin, Jiraiya. He had heard plenty about the man's greatness from both his father and brother but for different reasons. His father told him that the man taught the Yondaime Hokage and was also one of the legendary Sannin. While his brother simply gushed about how the man was the author of his favorite smut series. _Guess he really is just a giant pervert. _Keito thought with a sweat-drop. "Guess you got him, ne sensei?" he asked even though he knew the answer.

The three had left and gotten dressed properly just as Jiraiya was coming around from his savage beating at the hands of his former teammate. They all decided to go to a nearby restaurant, on Jiraiya's coin of course, to discuss what was current. Jiraiya informed them of his travels and the recent developments that his spies let him in on. Tsunade in turn told him all about who Keito was which made Jiraiya express interest in training him. This made the Slug Princess bristle and vehemently deny his request immediately causing the other three to laugh a bit at her territorial attitude toward her apprentices.

Just as Jiraiya's visit was coming to an end, the man approached Keito and offered him a scroll saying that it contained some good stuff for a young ninja like himself. The young Hatake made sure that Tsunade wasn't around before quickly taking the scroll and bowing politely in thanks to the man. Jiraiya just smiled and told him to say hello to his father and brother for him. The Gama Sennin then disappeared in a puff of purple smoke leaving Keito to ponder on what was in the scroll that he received.

A/N: Wow, so let's recap this chapter: survived an encounter with Ne ANBU, saved by a Sannin, taught by the same Sannin, and received a training scroll from a second Sannin. Look, I know what you all are thinking 'Keito's such a Gary Stu', but that's the beauty of his character. I feel that I've done pretty well to keep Keito just on the line between a Stu and a reasonable character with little limits here and there.

Also, I know it feels like I rushed through a year of training and his encounter with Jiraiya but just bear with me. Once the prepatory crap is outta the way I can actually get to the real point of this story. Be patient, Naruko will come. Ja ne.


	5. The Trial of Will The Little Fang's Bite

The White Fang's Legacy

Chapter 4: The Trial of Will, The Little Fang's Bite

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto, but soon I'll be the proud owner of a Steyr AUG A3/SA... I also do NOT own Steyr Arms(just saying _).

Mochifreak: I'm so glad that somebody likes the story and the concept that inspired it. Thanks for the first review, always nice to get some love from readers. I had other ideas for OC's but Keito just stuck out so I just stayed with him, ecstatic that you like him too. And I figured someone would point out the timeskip thing, it felt awkward to write them like that but it was a little difficult to express timeskips within a flashback y'know?

Gruffard: I aim to please... and surprise. You are absolutely correct, Keito is 2 years older than Naruko which would make him 3 years Itachi's junior. And yes he is a prodigy, when your father is the White Fang, your brother is the Copy-Cat Ninja, and your mother is an Uchiha it's kinda hard not to be haha. I appreciate the interest, thank you.

And for your second review: Thank you for reading, I hope I can continue to hold your interest throughout this fic. And if I told you what happened now it would spoil the story and I'd hate for that to happen ;)

SasuNarulover49: I'll add a blurb in the summary that the story is OC-centric for the first several chapters, but I assure you that Naruko will show up in the next couple chapters.

And thanks to the alerters:

Amyb11, llandry43, Mochifreak, zoebeansmommy, Gruffard, and SasuNarulover49

On with the show!~

-Sawado Hotel, Hi no Kuni, Six Months Later-

A field that was just a little ways from the Sawado Hotel was virtually ripped apart by the spar between Keito and Tsunade. One looked perfectly fine with just a few drops of sweat on their brow while the other looked exhausted and beaten while healing themselves. The Slug Princess earned her Sannin title for a reason, she was ridiculously strong. Keito had done well for his part, in that he wasn't dead during what Tsunade called a "field test" which included her going all out against the young Hatake while he did all he could to survive. Mission accomplished even if he did look a little worse for the wear. Tsunade just smiled, obviously proud of her own handiwork.

"Well brat, I'd say you did fine." The Sannin wiped the sweat from her brow. "You gave me a pretty good work-out. And I've never seen someone take a hit so well since Jiraiya spied on me when we were younger." She complimented.

The still panting Keito just nodded his thanks and managed a smile while he rested his glowing green hand on the left side of his ribcage. "Glad I could be your punching bag for today." He muttered sarcastically.

Tsunade just laughed at Keito's expense. "Nobody likes a sore loser, gaki."

"It's not the losing part that bothers me; it's the three bruised ribs, mild concussion, and multiple hairline femur fractures that have got me down." Keito explained in a deadpan.

"Well regardless of how bad you feel right now just take some comfort in the fact that now I don't have much more to teach you." Tsunade stated proudly with her hands on her hips.

"No shit?" Keito asked bluntly.

"No shit. You learned fast, gaki." The Slug Princess smirked cheekily. "And now that I have handed your ass to you, I get to give you your nickname."

Keito just raised an eyebrow at her. "Excuse me?"

"Well, that's how we got the title of Sannin. We managed to survive an encounter with Hanzou the Salamander and he decided to give us a nickname." Tsunade explained. "Didn't you learn anything in the academy?"

"Sure I did, but the lessons don't exactly highlight the famous battles where we got our asses kicked." Keito replied sharply.

Tsunade ignored the quip and started racking her brain for a good nickname when suddenly it clicked. _That's perfect. _She thought devilishly. "All that aside, I have the perfect nickname for you, gaki."

Keito sighed in exasperation as he brought his glowing hand to his right leg. "I'm positively dying to know."

"The Little Fang." The Slug Princess stated simply.

Keito narrowed his eyes in contemplation. _Well it's not that insulting, and it's not the exact same as my dad's. It has nothing to do with my brother's and it flows nicely. I like it. _He thought. "The Little Fang, huh?"

Tsunade decisively nodded.

"I'll take it." Keito shrugged from his spot on the ground. "After all, it could be worse."

"I'm glad you like it since you'll probably have it until you make a name for yourself." Tsunade said with her arms crossed over her chest.

-Sawado Hotel, Hi no Kuni, One Month Later-

Keito was busily packing his things while his mind wandered, completely lost in thought. He packed his kunai, the scroll Jiraiya gave him, and a slightly larger scroll full of medical supplies from Tsunade and Shizune. _I know I'm not supposed to accept help, but I wasn't gonna be ungrateful to my sensei and senpai. Plus that scroll from Jiraiya was incredibly helpful, gotta love Fuuinjutsu. _He thought. The Little Fang sighed with finality as the last of his clothes and assorted items were packed. He threw his pack onto his back and headed out of the hotel to meet Tsunade and Shizune who were waiting outside.

"Took you long enough, gaki. Forget how to pack?" Tsunade joked.

Keito smiled slightly. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

Shizune just looked at the two with a sad, silent smile. "Are you sure that you'll be alright on your own, Keito-kun?"

Tsunade just smiled broadly. "You worry too much, Shizune. I'm sure he'll be just fine, isn't that right Little Fang?"

"Of course I'll be okay, Shizune-nee, I've had awesome teachers." Keito managed a cheeky grin. _And I'm not just talking about you. _He thought while reflecting on all of the jutsu and assorted skills that his clones had been sending back to him.

"Well it's just about time for you to become someone else's problem, gaki." Tsunade jabbed playfully. _Be safe, though. _She thought with concern.

Keito took a deep breath as he turned away from the two women he'd spent a year and a half with. "'Kay, later Tsunade-sensei, Shizune-nee stay out of trouble." He teased as he started walking east out of Hi no Kuni.

"You too!" Shizune shouted then quietly added. "Bye."

-Eastern Shore, Hi no Kuni, One Week Later-

We find one Hatake Keito staring out over the ocean for the first time in his life simply soaking up the sheer majesty of it. However, under the fascination there lied a deep, subtle sense of dread in his gut. The clones that he sent to Kirigakure no Sato kept getting dispelled and the only thing he got out of it was a thick mist and either a jutsu or a blur. Not a total loss, but still troubling nonetheless. This fueled his decision to go to that village and spy on its ninja personally. He needed to know just what made them such undetectable, efficient killers. But he had to find a way to even get to the island in the first place. His clones just stowed away on cargo ships destined for the place, but he wanted to find a more legitimate way there. Before Keito could ponder more on this he picked up on the sounds of a female crying. Now he wasn't the most chivalrous kid in the world but no male can resist a damsel in distress.

_Might as well check it out. _Keito thought as he shrugged and took off running down the beach in the direction of the crying. What he found was a girl that appeared to be in her teens on her knees surrounded by a group of three less than savory men. She was also holding her right ankle with her face twisted by a mixture of pain and fear. She had light brown hair in a messy bun with her bangs framing her face. She had purple eyes and was wearing a simple, sea blue short kimono. Keito approached the group quietly in order to properly size them up. They just looked like an ordinary bunch of thugs to him, but he knew full well that looks could be deceiving. He decided to make his presence known. "Excuse me gentlemen, but I think you're invading that girl's personal space."

One of the men, a tall, skinny, bald man, turned back to look at who had arrived to spoil their fun and laughed a bit. "Fuck off, junior. The big kids are playing."

The cheerful look on Keito's became filled with cruel malice almost instantly from the man's response. He walked closer to the men. "Can I play?" He asked with a dark smile.

The bald man just sighed as he pulled a blade out of his pocket and turned to fully face Keito. "Look, you little twerp, this ain't none of your damn concern. It's business now run along before you get hurt."

"I'm afraid I can't do that." Keito whispered harshly as his Sharingan lit up and his killing intent flared. Once all of the men made eye contact with him, he held a handsign and said, "Kanashibari no Jutsu."

The men all seized up, eyes wide in horror as Keito approached them with his special kunai drawn. One of his father's lessons suddenly erupted from his mind. _Killing is a choice, but it should never be your first one. _He shook the thought away and decided that he would just scare them away. Keito formed a few handsigns and took a deep breath, "Katon: Endan." He blew a small, orange fireball that landed just in front of the men while being careful to avoid the girl.

The display seemed to be enough to scare the men out of their trance and make them run away with threats of retaliation. Keito just brushed their words off and went over to tend to the girl that seemed slightly afraid of him now.

Keito approached the girl carefully. "Excuse me, ma'am, are you alright?" He asked warmly.

The girl eyed him cautiously as he came closer. "What are you?" She asked with heavy apprehension.

"Hmm, I would've figured that would be fairly obvious. I'm just your friendly, neighborhood ninja." Keito answered with a cheerful smile. "So, are you okay?"

The girl shook her head. "I hurt my ankle when I fell. Those men were about to... to..." She couldn't finish the sentence as she broke down crying.

Keito knelt down next to her and wiped some of her tears away. "You're safe now, please don't cry." She seemed to calm down a bit but wouldn't face him, so Keito decided to try and get her to open up a little. "So, what's your name?"

"Sayuri." The now identified Sayuri murmured. "What yours?"

"I'm Keito." The Little Fang replied "I could take a look at your ankle if you'd like. I'm a bit of a doctor."

"You're a doctor?" She asked in disbelief. "You seem a little young."

"Don't judge a book by its cover." Keito chirped as he gingerly moved the girl's hands away from her ankle in order to get a good look at it. He formed a few handsigns and said, "Shousen Jutsu." He placed his now glowing green hands over Sayuri's swollen ankle.

Sayuri just stared at Keito with eyes as wide as dinner plates while he diligently healed her injury. "Where'd you learn to do that?" She asked curiously standing to check his handiwork.

"It's complicated." Keito answered. "Why were those guys after you?"

"It's complicated." Sayuri looked down and mimicked his answer.

A short time and a long walk later found Keito and Sayuri relaxing at her and her brother's cabin right off the beach. It was a quaint log structure that was surprisingly big and cozy on the inside with a stone chimney spewing a little gray smoke. They also had a wooden dock just off the shore with a small steamboat tied to it. When they got to the cabin, a young man ran out the front door and embraced Sayuri expressing how worried he had been. The man then asked who Keito was and she explained how he saved her from a horrible fate and scared the thugs away. Sayuri introduced Keito to the man revealing that he was her brother. His name was Shibato. They shook hands and Shibato welcomed Keito into the siblings' home as thanks. All three of them made it inside and to the kitchen to enjoy some tea.

A comfortable silence had fallen, but Shibato couldn't help but break it. "I still can't believe that you scared those guys away!" He exclaimed in a somewhat high-pitched voice. "I mean you're just a kid, right?"

Keito chuckled a little at the man's outburst. "Well, hero status doesn't exactly have an age requirement." He joked.

"True enough, but it's pretty incredible to be that strong and brave at such a young age." Shibato stated. "What's your secret?" He asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Hard work. It was hard work that makes me what I am today." Keito uttered with a stoney expression then he grinned cheekily. "And a bit of luck never hurts."

Shibato nodded at the explanation. "That explains your strength, but what about your bravery?"

"That's easy. I'm so hard-headed that I wouldn't know how to be afraid even if death itself walked right up to me and slapped me in the face." Keito answered while laughing.

_This kid can't be for real. _Sayuri thought as she just listened to the conversation.

"Must be nice not to know fear." Shibato spoke lowly. "I'm such a coward, I couldn't even protect my own sister."

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Onii-san." Sayuri scolded lightly.

"But it's true! I just let those thugs chase you. I didn't even try to stop them." Shibato shouted then got quiet. "I'm a dirty coward."

Keito interjected. "You're wrong you know. There are times when I have been afraid, but I found my resolve and got through it. You need to find your resolve, then you'll see that even a lamb can become a lion." He spoke wisely while unknowingly quoting his father.

"You really think I can be a lion?" Shibato asked with uncertainty.

"Of course you can." Keito and Sayuri answered at the same time. They looked at each other and smiled.

"So Keito will you train me to be as strong as you?" Shibato asked while he got on his knees pleadingly.

Keito just looked a little embarrassed at the man's display. _I don't have time for that! _He screamed inwardly. "Get off your knees, Shibato, please."

Shibato did as Keito requested. "So will you?" He asked hopefully.

"Uh, training you will take a really long time." Keito paused at the man's crestfallen look. "How about I just solve your little thug problem for good?" He offered.

"Keito that's a steep offer, you don't even know the whole story!" Sayuri shouted as she stood up.

"Well, I do hate to be misinformed." Keito stated with a shrug.

Sayuri explained how a few years ago, a group of criminals and thugs started to plague this area and pressured all of the local fishermen and ferrymen to pay "taxes" to keep their businesses in one piece. In response, most of the fishermen and ferrymen went elsewhere while her father stood defiant against them and as a result was killed by the gang's leader, a man by the name of Hotaka. The man had been a former ninja for Kusagakure no Sato until he had committed a series of heinous crimes and was forced to flee the village. She tearfully told Keito how he had used a strange jutsu to mortally wound her father and left while promising their family more problems in the future. Hotaka had made good on his promise by having his thugs torment her and bully her brother into giving them free transit to Nami no Kuni and Sui no Kuni. She finished with a plea that Keito not try to face them.

Keito had closed his eyes in contemplation before opening them to reveal an unyielding determination. "I'll do it. I don't care about the odds or the numbers. Men like that don't deserve to live." _It's fuckers like Hotaka that give ninja a bad name. _He thought with a mental grimace.

Before Sayuri could voice further protest, Shibato cut her off. "I'm going with you!" He announced shakily.

"Onii-san... you can't, I don't want to lose you too." Sayuri said quietly as tears welled in her eyes.

Shibato sighed. "But I'm sick of laying down. I want to fight. We can do it, right Keito?" He asked with a good amount of nerve.

_I'm a little impressed with this guy's attitude, at least he'd make a good distraction. _Keito thought with an inward sweat-drop. "Right. Hotaka's going down and so is his gang." Keito agreed with a confident grin. _I'll teach them not to fuck with the Little Fang of Konoha! _He mentally declared in order to psych himself up.

"So when do we go get him?" Shibato asked.

"I have a feeling that he'll come to us." Keito replied.

"How do you know?" Sayuri asked.

"Simple. I humiliated his men so now he'll try to take revenge. And when he does, we'll wreck him and his crew." Keito responded with a knowing smirk. "I have a plan."

Keito laid out the plan to the eager siblings before Shibato headed off to bed in order to be well rested for tomorrow. They offered Keito the guest bedroom which he gratefully accepted, but just when he was about to leave the kitchen Sayuri grabbed his arm.

"Promise me that you won't let my brother get hurt." Sayuri demanded.

The Little Fang didn't turn to face her. "I can't make that promise." He whispered.

"Why not?" Sayuri angrily forced him to face her.

"Anything can happen in battle." Keito responded quietly. "And I can't be everywhere at once. I'm good but even I have my limits." A word of his father's wisdom flashed through his mind. _A man must know his limits lest he be destroyed by them. _He shook off Sayuri's hands and proceeded to the guest bedroom.

Sayuri sighed as she watched him go. _He's right. Ninja or not he's still just a kid. It's not fair to ask so much of him. Tou-san watch over us 'cause I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to suck. _She finished her thought sarcastically.

-Eastern Beach, Hi no Kuni, The Next Day-

_Did not see this coming... _Keito thought grimly as he looked over the more than a hundred men that Hotaka had at his disposal. He turned to face the terrified siblings with wide eyes. "I thought you said a group of thugs, 'cause what I see is a fucking army!"

Sayuri bristled. "I tried to warn you, but you were so confident! Besides I never said how big the group was!"

_She's right, I dug my own grave with my big mouth. _Keito thought with a nervous smile. "Well, I guess it makes no difference as long as the plan works."

"That's right!" Shibato cut in. "We can still do this... I hope."

_Easy for him to say, he doesn't have to fight the psycho leader. _The Little Fang thought with a mental sweat-drop. "Better get in place, the show's about to start." The siblings simply nodded in response.

Meanwhile the thugs had surrounded the front of the siblings' home just as they had been instructed by Hotaka to do. They shouted taunts hoping to draw that ninja out so they could overwhelm him with sheer number, but to no avail. Hotaka simply watched from the back of his gang's formation just in case of some trickery by the siblings' little helper. Keito had snuck onto the roof to survey the scene and prepare for his first fight with a real enemy ninja. _Here goes nothing! _The Little Fang stood up in the view of all the thugs while forming several handsigns. "Raigen: Raikouchuu!" A pillar of light appeared blinding all of the thugs as Keito jumped high into the air, Sharingan active and ready. He was coming down heel first with a cry of "Tsuuten Kyaku!" The brutal impact and blinding dust cloud left quite a few thugs incapacitated while others had simply been scared shitless by the display.

"Now that I have your attention." Keito said with a wicked smirk while standing in the crater that he just created. His smirk wavered however when he heard someone clapping their hands.

"Not bad, kid, not bad at all." A man with long, dark green hair and piercing purple eyes said as he approached the crater. "Frankly, these morons are quite easy to frighten so how about you give me a try?" He said with a crazy, jagged smile.

"Hotaka, I presume?" Keito ventured while taking on a defensive stance.

The man quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I find myself embarrassed. You know my name, but I don't know yours. Care to share?" Hotaka said with mock interest.

"Hatake Keito, the Little Fang. It's a pleasure to meet a lunatic of your standing." Keito greeted with a smile.

"Shirodama Hotaka, the Melting Nightmare of Kusagakure." Hotaka introduced with a mocking bow clearly ignoring Keito's quip.

Keito nodded. "Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, how about we get this over with?"

"Hmm, what's the rush? Got something more important to attend to?" Hotaka asked pretending to be hurt.

"Something like that." Keito replied with a shrug.

Shibato, who was watching from the open front door of the house, noticed Keito's shrug. _That's the signal! _He thought as he drew the kunai that Keito had given him for the plan. Shibato took off running at Hotaka while screaming loudly. "Take this you bastard!"

Hotaka turned and simply swatted the charging man away. "Is this some kind of jo-" He was cut off by a hard strike to the back of his neck.

"Ninpou: Ranshinshou." Keito said in a sharp tone as the Keito standing in the crater disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Very clever. How?" Hotaka ground out as his body twitched uncontrollably.

"I usually don't give away my secrets, but I'll tell you." Keito said with a grin. "I used the dust cloud to create a clone and transformed to look like an injured thug until the proper moment. The proper moment being Shibato's charge. Simple and clean." The Little Fang made his way to Shibato, Sayuri was already cradling him. The thugs kept their distance from Keito as he walked.

A bruised Shibato smiled. "I did it, I was brave for once."

"Yeah, very brave." Keito affirmed while healing Shibato's face. He turned to Sayuri. "Sorry I couldn't keep him from getting hurt, but at least he wasn't killed."

"True." Sayuri agreed and noticing the serene look on her brother's face simply sweat-dropped. "I think he fainted."

"No way." Keito checked him. "Well, I'll be damned."

"So what do we do with Hotaka?" Sayuri asked.

"That's for you guys and the other merchants, sailors, fishermen, and ferrymen to decide." Keito answered.

Sayuri narrowed her eyes in thought. "But they all left."

"I have a feeling they'll return when they find out that Hotaka's been stopped." Keito responded with a warm smile.

Both Sayuri and Keito made their way over to the still-struggling Hotaka. Sayuri looked from the twitching man to Keito. "So is that permanent?"

"Not at all." The Little Fang replied.

"Hmm, what about the thugs?" Sayuri asked with a thumb to the gathered men around them.

Keito just shot them a glare with his Sharingan spinning. "Shoo." The thugs just stared in fear not moving an inch. He stood up straight with a large rock in hand before crushing it. "Get the fuck out already!" The Little Fang yelled.

The remaining gang members ran as fast as they could to get away from the pint-sized terror that had felled their boss with a single strike. One of the men yelled to the others. "Don't you think we should go back and avenge Hotaka?" Another shouted in response. "Hell no! That guy was an asshole anyway!"

A/N: I hate to end the chapter like this, but I think it's gone on long enough. So this chapter featured both Keito's skill and a bit of his cleverness. Note that it wasn't his power that won that fight in such a quick manner, it was a well-timed distraction and the proper use of the few jutsu that he knows. Anywho, I appreciate the reviews and alerts. Keep it up, my beautiful readers. Ja ne.


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